# Bands that appeared playing in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368 "2016-05-22T15:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/21 "2016-05-22T17:42:56Z")
How about _Songwriter_, where Kris Kristofferson’s real backing band backed up Lesley Anne Warren, while Willie Nelson’s real backing band backed up Kris? ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/22 "2016-05-22T17:51:41Z")
In _Human Highway_ (1982), co-directed by Neil Young, the group Devo perform several numbers, but not as themselves. Neil Young performs as a non-Neil Young character. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/23 "2016-05-22T17:55:12Z")
The Standells, best known for “Dirty Water,” appeared in several movies and TV shows- sometimes as themselves, sometimes playing fictitious bands with mother names. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/24 "2016-05-22T17:55:26Z")
Steel Dragon was a fictional band in _Rock Star_ but was composed of actual rock musicians, including Zakk Wylde and Jason Bonham. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/25 "2016-05-22T18:03:19Z")
The Donnas appeared in Drive Me Crazy (as The Electrocutes). They’d released three albums and I’d heard of them by the time that film came out so I guess that could count as famous. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/26 "2016-05-22T18:05:52Z")
Sha Na Na played Johnny Casino and the Gamblers in Grease. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/27 "2016-05-22T18:09:01Z")
Well, they weren’t well known. But **The Wellingtons** appeared as a rock group called “The Mosquitoes” on Gilligan’s Island. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/28 "2016-05-22T18:53:07Z")
British rock band **Slade** appeared in the 1975 film **Slade in Flame** portraying the rise and fall of the fictional band Flame. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/29 "2016-05-22T18:59:19Z")
Chad and Jeremy appeared in _The Dick Van Dyck Show_ as “The Redcoats,” a fictitious band (though they did do a shout out, thanking their friends Chad and Jeremy). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/30 "2016-05-22T19:02:03Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > New Jersey band The Feelies are playing at Melanie Griffith’s high school reunion in the 1986 film _Something Wild_. In the film they’re called The Willies. Damn, that was the the one I was going to post! Here they are playing David Bowie’s “Fame” in the movie. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/i_9Vlh1OtB8/hqdefault.jpg "The Feelies play David Bowie's Fame in Something Wild") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_9Vlh1OtB8) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/31 "2016-05-22T19:41:06Z")
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band appeared in the movie _Paint Your Wagon_ as a nameless band playing the piece _Hand Me Down That Can o’ Beans_. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/32 "2016-05-22T20:16:04Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Chad and Jeremy appeared in _The Dick Van Dyck Show_ as “The Redcoats,” a fictitious band (though they did do a shout out, thanking their friends Chad and Jeremy). They were also on “Batman.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/33 "2016-05-22T20:22:14Z")
Not a band, but crooner Al Martino played the fictional singer Johnny Fontane in _The Godfather_. The band Lustra was “Donny’s Band” in the movie EuroTrip, performing _Scotty Doesn’t Know_. Donny was played by Matt Damon, who lip-synced the song. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/34 "2016-05-22T20:25:45Z")
On an episode of “F Troop,” a mop topped English band called the Bedbugs appears. Their guitarist and lead singer was Lowell George, and their drummer was Richie Hayward. Together, they were the founders of Little Feat. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/35 "2016-05-22T20:36:35Z")
Bauhaus, the Hunger (1983), with David Bowie in a non-musical role. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/36 "2016-05-22T20:47:52Z")
Oingo Boingo was in _Back to School_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/37 "2016-05-22T21:38:44Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Oingo Boingo was in _Back to School_. Since they had a giant neon sign behind them that said “Oingo Boingo” I don’t think they were playing a fictional band. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/38 "2016-05-22T21:38:54Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Oingo Boingo was in _Back to School_. Oingo Boingo are credited as themselves in _Back to School_. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/39 "2016-05-22T21:43:03Z")
In the Dick Van Dyke episode called “The Redcoats are Coming” the Redcoats are played by Chad and Jeremy. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368/40 "2016-05-22T21:45:23Z")
The OP stipulates “band” … so I may assume that instances such as the following are not in play? [ul] [li] Joan Jett as Patti Resnick in _Light of Day_[/li][li]Bette Midler as Mary Rose Foster in _The Rose_[/li][li]Neil Diamond as Jess Robin in _The Jazz Singer_[/li][li]Paul Simon as Jonah Levin in _One Trick Pony_[/li][/ul] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-appeared-playing-in-movies/755368.md?page=3)